SOME people are not religious, but they possess genuine human qualities of compassion, kindness, empathy, and care for other people. They are people who may not always go to church or are not even part of any religion, but they have a deep sense of shared humanity. They’re not easy to judge other people because they also see their brokenness, struggles, and pain. They live “big,” which means that they try to appreciate other people’s perspectives and understand their situations. They’re more inclusive and open-minded.
I remember meeting this category of people when I joined a weekend retreat last summer in Pitt Meadows, B.C., Canada called The Daring Way, which helps people live a more vulnerable, authentic, compassionate, and courageous life. Those who joined the retreat were not all part of a church, but they came with good intentions.
They were also there to improve their relationship with their loved ones and to become more caring for others and the planet. They were there to learn how to brave the wilderness of opposition, rejection, and criticism. They were there to learn how to live a wholehearted life—a life driven by the values of authenticity, empathy, self-compassion, gratitude, joy, trusting, faith, creativity, self-care, humor, and meaningful work. Indeed, they were there to become better human beings!
Would it be that they are also the kind of people that Jesus is referring to in this Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 9:38-43,45, 47-48)? One day, John asked Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him. Jesus replied, “Do not prevent him. No one performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us. Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.”
In a world of social media where everyone is taking sides, we must take this Gospel as a challenge to be tolerant, kind, and understanding of other people, to listen to their opinions and angsts, and yet still stand on the ground of our authentic selves and the values we believe.
In her book, Braving the Wilderness, The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone, Brene Brown presents some scenarios of people with different political views and the genuine kindness they possess. Here are two of them:
“The political rhetoric: Democrats are losers.
Your experience: As a lifelong conservative, this sounds about right. But what about your closest friend at work—the one who drove you to the hospital when you got the call that your husband had a heart attack at the gym and was being rushed to the ER? The one who sat with you in the CICU then raced to pick up your kids from school and take them to the house? The one who helped you plan the funeral and shouldered your workload while you were out?
The political rhetoric: Anti-abortion activists are hypocrites and closed-minded fundamentalists.
Your experience: As a feminist activist, you couldn’t agree more. Except for that great teacher you had in your Catholic high school. She had more integrity than anyone you know, and she constantly encouraged you to think critically about tough issues, even when it means disagreeing with her. She’s actually the one who taught you how to be an effective activist. She’s not a hypocrite or close-minded. And she’s pro-life.”
Brown’s real-life examples inspire us to learn the art of living harmoniously and bravely with people in a polarized society.
In the light of this Sunday’s Gospel, let’s not exclude people from our lives just because they don’t share our beliefs and opinions. Let’s be more human to one another!
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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1991-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.
